CHP Partnership Fact Sheet

What Is the EPA Combined Heat and Power Partnership?

Through the CHP Partnership, EPA’s CHP team works with CHP stakeholders to reduce air pollution and water usage associated with electric power generation by increasing the use of CHP. EPA’s goal is to remove policy barriers and to facilitate the development of new projects in the United States and its territories by promoting the economic, environmental, and reliability benefits of CHP. We provide tools, policy information, and other resources to energy users; the CHP industry; clean air officials; and other clean energy stakeholders.

EPA’s CHP team welcomes the following types of organizations as Partners:

Why EPA Supports CHP

EPA promotes greater use of CHP because significant cost-effective emissions reductions can be achieved by increasing the efficiency of the nation's energy supply. CHP systems achieve fuel use efficiencies of 60 to 80 percent, compared to a typical separate heat and power (i.e., purchased grid electricity from the utility and an on-site boiler) efficiency range of 45 to 55 percent. This improvement in efficiency translates to:

Reduced total fossil fuel use

Reduced emissions of greenhouse gases and other air pollutants

CHP also consumes less water than conventional electric power generation.